Sofitel winds up the year 2010 with three new exceptional hotels

Monday 13, December 2010

This week, three new Sofitel locations will be opening their doors in succession around the world, a spectacular way to wrap up 2010. The year has been a decidedly busy one for the brand, which is passionately and tirelessly pursuing its new position in the world of luxury.

Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom is a unique piece that is destined to become the brand's flagship in Europe. For the first Sofitel location in Austria, Jean Nouvel has designed an incredible edifice that stretches along the Danube canal. This sleek, 18-story building is the very essence of pure 21st century style. It is a sculptural work made of glass and steel, a fount of light, air and greenery.

The elegant façades, each featuring a different monochrome palette, hint at the décor in the rooms. Grey for the south façade, black for the west and white for the north bring a life-size piece of abstract art to the daily lives of both the Viennese and the hotel's guests, who will discover a multitude of constantly shifting facets under a stormy July sky, a pale winter morning or a flamboyant sunset.

At the top, the partition walls give way to walls of glass before reaching the slanted floating roof, home to the hotel restaurant under three-Michelin-starred French chef Antoine Westermann. The breathtaking location flirts with the horizon, with the city laid out at its feet.

Nouvel called on contemporary Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist to bring color into the hotel. She rose to the occasion with five extraordinary, moving and colorful ceilings using an innovative technique, along with an incredible kaleidoscope of mirrors.

After light and color, it was time for nature. Landscape architect Patrick Blanc put the perfect finishing touch on the overall look with his stunning plant garden, a living wall covered with 20,000 species.

Like an echo of the exterior, each of the hotel's 182 monochromatic rooms, including 26 suites, is dressed entirely in immaculate white, light grey or velvety black from floor to ceiling, including the walls and even the furniture. This novel, spectacular décor creates a hotel experience exclusive to the Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom. From the rooms that overhang the historic old town district, guests can admire the spires of St. Stephen's Cathedral, which gave the hotel its name, the giant Prater Ferris wheel and the shady Vienna Woods.

In a city marked by history, the Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom represents the future encountering the past. Jean Nouvel has designed more than just a hotel; it is a thing of pure architectural beauty that changes the face of the city and promises to watch over it at night.

SOFITEL SO MAURITIUS: 2 talents combine for one different Resort

Opening on Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Come see the results of an exceptional encounter between two artists: Thai architect Lek Bunnag and fashion designer Kenzo Takada. These two talented minds combined their creativity to make this hotel into a fundamentally different place where purity, nature and simplicity come first. This new Sofitel location is a response to the demands of an exacting clientele that prizes authenticity and refinement.

Building a decidedly contemporary complex surrounded by nature is also a major first in Mauritius; the hotel is in close communion with a harmoniously mixed environment and culture that blends Indian and Creole influences into a colorful, authentic whole.

In the best-preserved region of Mauritius, on 14 hectares of land with 520 meters of beach, the resort offers eighty-four 60-m2 suites, six 100-m2 Beach Villas and two 200-m2 "Beaulieu Villas" nestled into the luxuriant tropical vegetation. The suites and villas are all free-standing and at ground level for complete privacy, featuring private gardens and outdoor ponds or pools (for the villas), patios with outdoor showers, refined amenities and every possible comfort.

The So SPA, devoted to wellness in body and mind, enjoys an ideal setting between the sparkling lagoon and the hibiscus and bougainvillea flowers, where nature and architecture join forces to create an instant feeling of relaxation and serenity.

This human-scale hotel with its totally unique style is more than just a new concept; it offers a novel sensory experience and complete immersion in nature.

SOFITEL PHNOM PENH PHOKEETHRA: a new property in Cambodia for business stays

Opening on Saturday, December 18, 2010 (Soft Opening)

Surrounded by gardens and set on the banks of the Bassac River, near the business and embassy district, the Sofitel Phnom Penh Royal has the air of a Khmer palace. It offers exceptional services not available elsewhere in Cambodia, with the ambition of becoming the country's magnet for business meetings and retreats. Indeed, its international-class conference center is a first for the country, offering 1,800 m² of meeting space, and its ballroom is the largest and most modern ever built in the country's capital.

The hotel, which features 201 rooms (including 35 suites), is also a luxury destination in its own right, with 4 restaurants, a sports complex and clubhouse, tennis and squash, 2 pools and extensive lawns and gardens. In wellness amenities, the hotel will open the first So SPA in Cambodia, offering options that blend traditional Khmer treatments with innovative French-style spa care.

Having already established its presence in Cambodia with the spectacular Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Gold and Spa Resort, Sofitel has now rounded out its offering in a rapidly blossoming country.

Find the best deals available today

The grey menu on the right is your best friend. Always check before you travel.

More and more travellers think that researching and planning a European city break is half the fun and they're not interested in pre-arranged trips or escorted tours. Self-guided tours offer a lot of advantages but require some guidance and good resources.